Modern statistics indicate that the education of American youth is falling behind the other industrialized nations of the world in matters relating to science. Many believe that this disturbing trend is a result of failure on the part of the American educational system to teach scientific concepts in a way that generates interest in science and demonstrates how science affects our daily lives.
Science is for everyone. All of us use and benefit from science. Nearly all scientific concepts, regardless of their theoretical or technical complexity, can be explained in terms that are easy to understand by anyone, including young children. Showing children the link between scientific concepts and the physical world in a meaningful way makes science interesting, and, consequently, encourages more children to pursue career opportunities in scientific fields.
I have a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and worked as an engineer for ten years. During that time, I conducted science demonstrations for the public at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Wash.
I presently produce and star in an educational television show called "Bill Nye, The Science Guy..RTM." It has been seen by millions of viewers in syndication and on public broadcasting stations throughout the nation. An important part of my show involves the use of every-day household items to illustrate scientific principles and show children how they can perform simple experiments at home.
During the course of thinking of new ideas for a book and my show, it occurred to me that it is possible to create a very crude magnifying lens by filling a conventional Ziplock.RTM. plastic sandwich bag with water. Most Americans are very familiar with this type of bag as it is used to keep sandwiches fresh for lunchtime.
Obviously, the rectangular shape of the conventional plastic sandwich bag is not designed to mimic the curvature of a lens. Consequently, I created my own design borrowing from the sandwich bag concept. Without explaining complicated principles relating to wave optics, my design introduces the concept of refraction of light, as it passes through a lens, and lens focal length. At the same time, it is fun to use.
Certain features of my design are believed to be unique and patentable. These features, and their advantages, will become apparent upon reading the description set forth below.